Timeline: Cape Verde

A chronology of key events:

1456 - First Europeans arrive in Cape Verde.

Fishermen on Sao Vicente, one of the busiest islands

1495 - Cape Verde becomes a Portuguese crown colony.

1956 - Amilcar Cabral, a native of Cape Verde, co-founds the African Party for Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in Guinea-Bissau.

1960 - PAIGC-led liberation war begins against Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau, with many Cape Verdeans joining in.

Independence

1975 - Cape Verde becomes independent and adopts constitution envisaging unity with Guinea-Bissau.

1980 - Cape Verde ditches plans for unity with Guinea-Bissau following coup in latter.

1981 - African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) replaces the PAIGC and becomes the country's sole party.

1991 - Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro becomes president following Cape Verde's first free election.

1992 - A new constitution brings in a multi-party system.

Cesaria Evora: "Barefoot diva" is a superstar of African music BBC Radio 3: Profile - Cesaria Evora

1996 - Mascarenhas Monteiro is re-elected and his party, the Movement for Democracy, wins a majority of seats in parliamentary elections.

2001 January - Government accepts defeat in parliamentary elections, paving the way for the return to power of the former ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, the PAICV.

2001 March - Pedro Pires, from the Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, is elected president after beating his rival, the Movement for Democracy's Carlos Veiga, by 17 votes.

2006 January-February - Governing PAICV wins parliamentary elections and incumbent leader, Pedro Pires, is victorious in closely-contested presidential polls.

2006 June - Some 7,000 Nato troops take part in war games on Sao Vicente island. This is the organisation's first major deployment in Africa.

2007 December - World Trade Organization (WTO) council approves Cape Verde's accession to the organisation.